Teachers Pin Hopes on Congress Government Vow to Revoke GO 317

Hyderabad: Government employees who had hit the streets seeking revocation of GO 317, which introduced a zonal system in the allocation of jobs, are pinning their hopes on the Congress government to revoke the order.

The GO was issued after the 10 districts in the state were reorganised into 33, ensuring 95 per cent reservation for locals in each district, zone and multi-zone. Yhe main gripe of employees was that they were transferred to areas that were far from their hometowns.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had promised during the election campaign to do away with the GO.

Sandeep Pogula, president of 317 Polytechnic Wing Association and a librarian, said while he is a native of Charminar zone in Hyderabad and had studied in Ramanthapur, he has been transferred to Basara zone and allocated to the Nizamabad polytechnic.

 “Telangana Non-Gazetted Officers Association and Telangana Gazetted Officers Association colluded with the BRS government and let us down,” he said. The GO ensured that relatively junior employees were transferred to the newly carved districts, he said.

This, M. Anitha, 46, a school assistant, says cost her her seniority. Shifted from her native Warangal district after marriage to live with her family, she was posted to Jakaram of Chowdariguda mandal in Rangareddy district. “My husband is a private employee in Cherlapally. I made the compromise for the sake of my family,” she said.

Her fellow teacher who joins her in her journey back home, B. Vasavi Kumari, 47, a school assistant, says her family is settled in Uppal.

“I travel 200 km every day and have developed health issues. My experience as a second-grade teacher from 2002 was not considered while allocating my native district on a permanent basis,” she said.

“I wish I had not taken a promotion as a school assistant. Only my lesser experience in the new post was seen while allocating my district. Our protests against this situation had gone unheeded. The BRS government did not consider our woes,” she said.

Forty-two-year-old M. Shailaja hailing from Kukatpally and posted in Mylavaram of Basheerabad mandal on the Karnataka border, said she has to wake up at 5.30 am and returns home only by 10 pm.

“I had to get blood infusion to beat health issues. This, owing to serious sleep deprivation, as I have to wake up at 3.30 am to complete my household work to embark on the 320-km journey I make every day now. I had to join my kids studying in 6th and 9th classes in the hostel.”

“I hope the new government delivers soon what they had promised to do in 48 hours,” said Vinoda, another teacher, who travels 120 km to her workplace every day.

The GO was also opposed by tribal organisations fearing it would dilute the protection under the Fifth Schedule.